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How to get the dream of a calm and clutter-free bedroom

Star reporter Lauren Pelley sits in her bedroom in her Christie Pits-area home. With a few tips from EK Organizing's Elana Kleinman, Pelley was able to declutter the room for a more calming space. (Lucas Oleniuk / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

Of all the spaces in your home, your bedroom should be the most calming — and the least cluttered. But it’s easier said than done. Who hasn’t stored extra stuff in their bedroom when guests are over? Or made it a last priority on cleaning days since no one ever sees it anyway? (OK. Maybe that’s just me.) The thing is, getting a good night’s sleep lends itself to having a tranquil atmosphere to hit the pillow.

After moving into a century-old Christie Pits-area house late last year — with two roommates and too much furniture — I faced the daunting task of making my bedroom space a peaceful den for slumber, while still using it to house my desk, couch, and piles of clothes. Thankfully, professional organizer Elana Kleinman of Toronto-based EK Organizing offered some solid tips on getting the de-cluttered bedroom of my dreams.

“You don’t want it to add stress to your day,” Kleinman says. “If you look forward to coming back to your bedroom, you know you’ve done it right.”

Figure out your furniture

A good place to start is figuring out if your bedroom furniture is too big or if you’re cramming too many items into the space, Kleinman says. Otherwise, the room will look crowded, making it a stressful space to spend time in. She also says a bedroom should be a place for sleep, not work — so if you can, ditch the desk; if you can’t, keep it out of your slumber sightline with a room divider or screen.

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A desk in a window nook means the computer is out of view from the bed, securing a more peaceful sleep. (Lucas Oleniuk)

In my case, my new bedroom needed to house my loveseat, desk, and a massive wardrobe. Yikes. To keep things clean and simple, I spaced out the furniture — with the bed against a wall, and the couch on the other side — and made the layout sleep-friendly by tucking the desk into my window nook so the computer would be out of sight from my bed.

Declutter your closets

Clothing storage can be a daunting place to start decluttering, but Kleinman says you probably need fewer items than you think. “The first step is always going through it, making sure it’s stuff you actually wear and want to keep,” she says. “Often, we don’t wear most of what we have in there, and if we do, it’s once in awhile.” Haven’t worn those shirts or shoes in a year? Donate them to a local thrift shop or charity.

Make your bed do more work by concealing loose stuff stored in shallow bins. (Lucas Oleniuk)

There’s only a small wardrobe in my bedroom, and an even tinier closet. (A big problem when you’re a shopaholic like me.) To make everything fit, I purged nearly a third of my clothes by selling as many items as possible to resale chain Kind Exchange

and leaving the rest in local charity bins.

Think outside the (storage) box

Cleaning out your closet can mean some extra cash for you and some extra clothes for those in need. (Lucas Oleniuk)

Keeping clutter out of the room as a whole can be tricky if you don’t have a massive closet. Kleinman suggests putting items in unexpected places such as up high on a wardrobe or in containers under your bed. Certain mattress frames even lift up to store quilts and seasonal items, she says. You might as well give your bed a job, Kleinman says, even when you’re not sleeping on it.

Kleinman’s tips about storing things out of sight rings true in a small space like mine. I used shallow Rubbermaid containers to hide clutter — like medications and beauty products — under the bed. I also keep a few more containers up high on my wardrobe, above eye level.

This is part of a new series on decluttering the home. Last week: https://www.thestar.com/life/homes/2016/01/15/how-to-declutter-the-bathroom-for-less-hectic-mornings.html The BathroomEND. Next week: The Living Room.

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